- Table of Contents -

Because we get a ton of new players everyday looking and using the FRNL forum for the first time and to promote a better forum experience we have come up with some basic forum guidelines for posting a hand. So before you click that shiny button that says "New Thread" here's some things you should consider.

In other words, did you get your money in ahead and still lose? If this is the case, we don't really care. Everybody who plays poker suffers through these all the time. It's part of the game, and does not require its own thread. If you just need to vent there are Monthly LC (Low Content) threads just for that. The LC threads are usually always on the front page so they are easy to find. This also holds true about brags. There is also a whole forum devoted to these types of threads. If you're brave enough you can post them there.

2.03) Is this post about something other than small to high stakes NL?

Yes, we all have things we are interested in besides FRNL poker. The purpose of this forum is strategy though, so we would really like to keep the LC threads to a minimum. When you post a LC thread it moves a post that was about strat off the front page so questions may not get answered. If you want to discuss something else please use the monthly LC threads.

2.04) Have you read the master sticky?

There is so much information in that one resource that you can spend months browsing through it. Many of the questions you have, are already answered in the concepts and topics covered in the master sticky. Most of your hand posts boil down to concept application. So you should really try to get at the root of your question. Not should I fold or should I shove. You're really looking for the 'why' not the 'what'. In other words, if you don't know 'why' it really doesn't matter 'what'anyone tells you. The master sticky is full of the "why". At least make a reasonable effort to see if your question(s) can be found in the FAQ.

2.05) Have you tried the search function?

Chances are your question has been answered before, especially if you do not have much poker experience. You really don't need to start a 'when to move up bankroll thread' just type in 'bankroll management' into the search function and you should be able to find something that will help you out. Don't be discouraged if you don't find something with your first search, sometimes you have to give it the right words before it finds something. There is also bankroll information in the master sticky already. So you might want to try there first.

2.06) Title your post correctly.

This is fairly important because it can effect the advice you get. Things to include in the title are Level of play, 10NL, 25NL etc. Usually your hole cards. Some sort of idea of the decision you are looking at, but try not to give away the outcome of your hand. Good Example would be, "25NL KK in LP, turn decision vs a nit" a bad title would be something like "25NL, KK am I always behind here?" It's subtle but you can tell what the outcome is before you open the thread up. Knowing the outcome of a hand really can influence the advice you get.

2.07) Be sure to convert the hand if possible.

Raw hand history is harder to read, and might get ignored by those who choose not to read it. Also, raw histories include screen names and its somewhat bad form to show these. Not all hand histories from all sites can be converted, but most of the larger sites HHs can be run through the forum's own hand history converter. If that does not work there are other converters listed below. Details can be found in this thread: Official TwoPlusTwo Hand Converter Thread.

2.09) Only show the hand up to the point of the decision you want to discuss.

For instance if you have AA and are check raised all in on the flop you don't need to show the cards that come on the turn or the river they are meaningless to the decision you are making and can influence how others see the hand.

2.10) Don't post results!

It really does change the advice you get and whether you win the hand or not has no bearing on the quality of your decision. In the body of your post try not to give hints as to the outcome either.

2.11) Include stats.

You see a lot of post that start with "villian was 35/14/2" These are stats given from most poker database software. (for example Poker Tracker) and are VPIP, PFR, Total AG. These stats are not the only ones the software can give you and I would suggest you include any stats that you might think pertain to the hand. If you don't know what these stats mean, then once again you can find that info in the Master Sticky.

2.12) Include reads.

These would be actually what you have observed a player doing. Such as 'villain checkraises sets on the flop'. Because of the built in variance that poker players experience, stats are not true reads until you get a bunch of hands on a villain. No, 50 hands is not a bunch. Reads are really important to a lot of decisions we make. The better your reads, the better the advice people can generally give.

2.13) Include your image.

At some levels this is important, at others not so much. How important really kinda depends on if you think villain is actually paying attention to what your doing. I think though if you have been fairly active it effects villains more than if you have been fairly quiet at these levels.

2.14) What can you expect from others?

People respond to hands in different ways and for different reasons. Some will give you fairly lengthy and complete answers, others may just say a few things that may not help you at all. Some people like to teach, others are merely working on their own game. The main thing you have to remember is that poker is a lonely game. You and you alone are responsible for your poker education if you want to improve. So if someone makes a comment on your hand that you don't understand ask them about it. Most are more than willing to explain their thinking when asked.

2.15) How do I post an image in a thread?

To post an image or photo, first you must HOST it on the web. Even if you are just posting an image that is already on the web, unless it is on your website you MUST rehost it. Hot-linking an image (linking directly to an image on somebody else's site) is very bad and may get you banned. Always rehost!

One you have your image hosted, write your post. To add an image in your post, click this tool, which is just above the box where you enter your post: and enter the URL where the image is hosted.

2.16) What not to post.

Do not post requests for staking or offers to stake.Do not post requests for coaching or offers to coach.Do not post requests for rakeback or offers of rakeback.Do not post spam.Do not post bad beats except in threads designated for that purpose.Do not post one word replies. Include some thought and explanation in your replies.Do not post personal information regarding or identifying any other posters including but not limited to: phone numbers, addresses, URLs, AIM screen names, poker site accounts, etc. No trainwrecking!

3) General Information

3.01) What is allowed in my Location:?

No URLs.No mentions of rakeback.No "PM me" or "See profile"No mentions of coaching or teaching.Blogging is allowed.

Be careful using AIM with people you do not know. There have been many reports of scammers attempting to impersonate people by using similar IDs in order to trick people into doing money transfers. Refer to the Internet Gambling forum's thread on person to person transfers before agreeing to any transfers. Also never allow anyone you do not know well to send you any files.

Online poker sites have shown no inclination to reduce short stacking. This is likely because short stacks are in the site's best interest - Shorter stacks mean bad players loose their money slower. Which means they play more hands and pay more rake. So all you can do is avoid tables with lots or short stacks and learn to play better against them. Most short stacks are terrible and have no idea how to short stack effectively. For more information on short stacking: Crushing Short Stacks and M2TR shortstacker illuminati thread.

Online players are much, much better than live players at the same stakes. There are a number of reasons why:

1 - Live, the lowest stakes are $1/$2 NL. Online, the lowest stakes are $.01/$.02 NL. So online the worst players are playing $.01/$.02 NL. Live they're playing $1/$2 NL. Online, $.01/$.02 NL is SIX levels below $1/$2 NL.2 - Getting into a live game is far more casual than an online game. Live games often have inexperienced players stumble into the game on their way from the blackjack tables to the slots. Online you need to download and install the software, register an account and figure out a way to deposit. Online takes a far greater level of dedication JUST TO GET STARTED.3 - When a player wants to make more money live, he moves up in stakes. Online, he multi-tables. In this way online players are able to put much more money in play while limiting their exposure in any one hand and avoid playing with better players. Online $.5/$1 NL players can make a nice living out of multi-tabling. There aren't very many live $1/$2 NL pros.4 - No HUDs or Pokertracker live.5 - Online players see many more hands per hour, particularly if they multi-table. More hands per hour equals more experience equals better play.6 - Free alcohol in many casinos.

Obviously this is a generalization. If you looked hard enough you could find tough, low buy-in live games somewhere. If you truly think your live game is that hard, you're playing in the wrong time or place.

4.12) What books should I read?

"Getting Started in Holdem" by Ed Miller"Professional No Limit Hold'em Volume 1" by Ed Miller, Matt Flynn and Sunny Mehta"The Theory Of Poker" by David Sklansky"No Limit Holdem Theory and Practice" by David Sklansky, Ed Miller"Mathematics of Poker" by by Bill Chen and Jerrod AnkenmanGo to the Books and Publications forum for more information.

No amount of software will improve your game without you putting in the effort to match. However, if you find a free program that really really helps you, please consider shipping the author a little money.

Always be careful what you download.Make sure that your firewall and virus checking are up to date, if you're not sure about something then don't install it.

Some players dont use a HUD, including some that crush uNL. Find what works for you.

5.03) Equity calculators.

These programs will help you do the math at the heart of poker which can be complex.Pokerstove analyzes hand equity. It should be opened almost every time you look at a HH. Play around with it, don't just post hands and expect someone else to do this for you. Pokerazor is at beta stage right now. It looks advanced and seems to be attracting a lot of intrest.

5.04) AHK scripts.

Auto Hot Key is a programming language for automating Windows processes. You could write your own AHK script to do things like open and close a bunch of programs, type a string when you press Shift+F10 - you get the idea. There are a bunch of AHK scripts for multitabling, most of them you will find either at the Software Forum or the overcards AHK list.There are many different scripts available, including:Bet Pot Scripts (you can customize these to bet whatever you like with a single key/mouse click)Auto Reload ScriptsTable Opener ScriptsBuddy Lists

5.05) Graphing software.

Just please be sure to post them in the appropiate LC/monthy thread or whatever. Don't start a thread just because you have a particularly good or bad graph!Pokergrapher Makes a pretty graph of your winnings.PokerEVgrapher So you can whine about running bad. Actually there is more to this software than luck graphs so explore it.Flopped setometer will tell you how lucky you've been with your sets.

For details on how to post an image, check the Posting Guidelines section of this FAQ.

5.06) Table selection software.

Sixth Sense is a table selection tool for online poker players. Sixth Sense finds tables for you that are profitable. Sixth Sense works by downloading a list of tables and players from the server. It then uses your personal Poker Tracker database, and their proprietary fish scoring algorithm to rate each table, and list the best or “fishiest” tables at the top of the list. Free of use up to 25NLHE and up to 50LHE. Sixth Sense is banned at PokerStars.

5.07) Mod your table to make it look better.

A cleaner or more simplified table may help you play better or maybe you're just the kind of person who can't leave anything the way it is. Either way....Full Tilt ModsStars Mods

5.08) Datamining.

For full tilt you can use use Full Tilt Table Opener and leave PT running. Someone recently said that its against FT T&C but mining tilt is so widespread nobody is sure what the exact situation is.For Pokerstars, datamining is forbidden, some people still do it. Just be aware of the risks.

Note: Full Tilt no longer permits dataming.

5.09) Further software information.

If you have a specific question about software or a technical question, Don't post it in this forum.You will get more responses if you go to the Software forum (thats what its for) or go to the appropriate website for that product.

5.10) Isn't all this stuff against the rules? Aren't you cheating?

No!Is a baseball pitcher cheating because he knows a hitter has a .210 average with men on base and likes to chase pitches outside?Is a linebacker cheating because he's watched hours and hours of video on a certain tight end and can read his head-fake?Is a hockey player cheating because he's watched enough film on a goalie to know to never go five-hole and always shoot high glove side?These days nobody in any of these competitions would consider themselves to be playing at a high level without researching their opponents, usually with the help of coaches and statisticians. Why would poker be any different?

We are now using the same video list for both the Micro and Small Full Ring FAQs. If you post your video in both forums, please include a link in both threads to the corresponding thread in the other forum in order to make it easy to follow both discussions as only one of the threads will be linked in this FAQ.

A Pooh-Bah post is a kind of essay on a focused strategy topic. Traditionally it's written by a poster who has transitioned up the learning curve a good ways by participating on the (strat) forums, building strategy conversations and playing a lot. They have learned most of the basics (which was harder than they imagined when they first started up the curve) and many of the advanced topics. Usually they write this essay around the time when they reach 1600 posts; which is the point where thier title is changed from 'veteran' to 'Pooh-Bah', hence the name.

A PSA is a 'Public Service Announcement' and is similar to a PB post, but it might not be strictly about hand strategy. It could be a broader topic (such as bankkroll or tilt control), or about contributing to the board. These will go here too.

A stranger is being shown around a village that he has just become part of. He is shown a well and his guide says "On any day except tuesday, you can shout any question down that well and you'll be told the answer" . The man seems pretty impressed, and so he shouts down: Why not on tuesday? and the voice from in the well shouts back: Because on tuesday, its your day in the well .

- To outsmart, as in this clip: Battle of Wits. Also used when someone falls for a joke or is gullible.

LHE

- Limit Hold 'Em

LL

- Lower Limit games

LMAO

- Laughing My A** Off (available with numerous variations)

LO8

- Limit Omaha Hi-Lo

LOL

- Laughing Out Loud, Lots of Luck, etc

LP

- Late Position

10.12) M

Meh

- The sound you make when you shrug your shoulders signaling indifference; not great, not terrible.

MGR

- Monthly Gross Revenue

MHIG

- My Hand Is Good

MHING

- My Hand Is No Good

Minraise

- Raising the lowest amount possible

ML

- Middle Limit Games

MM

- Mason Malmuth

Monotone

- A flop of all the same suit

Moran

- Moron (this is a deliberate mispelling - an in joke)

MP

- Middle position

MSNL

- Mid Stakes No Limit (2+2 Forum)

MTT

- Multi Table Tournament

10.13) N

NC

- No Content

NH

- Nice Hand

Nit

- A player who plays too conservatively, plays too few hands, is weak-tight.

Nit

- A person who is overly concerned with rules and precision. Compulsively corrects minor errors. Enforces the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law. Is quick to be offended by minor slights, usually someone of stern disposition. Also often an implication of miserliness

NL100

- Number indicates the buy-in; this is No Limit, with $1 BB's

NLHE

- No limit hold 'em

NSFW

- Not Safe For Work

NT

- Nice Try

NT

- No Text in post

NVG

- News, Views & Gossip (2+2 Forum)

10.14) O

o

- Offsuited - K7o would be a King & 7 of different suits

O8

- Omaha Hi-Lo

OESD

- Open Ended Straight Draw

OESFD

- Open Ended Straight Flush Draw

OMG

- Oh My God!

OOP

- Out of position

OOT

- Other Other Topics (2+2 forum)

OOTM

- Out Of The Money

OP

- Original Poster

OPP

- Opponent

OT

- Off Topic

OTB

- On The Button

OTOH

- On The Other Hand

Overbet

- A bet amount larger than the current pot

Overpair

- Having a pair in your hand higher than the biggest card on the board

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